Author Archive: Retro

Sunshine Molly is an extant 1915 American comedy silent film directed by Phillips Smalley and Lois Weber and written by Lois Weber. The film stars Lois Weber, Phillips Smalley, Adele Farrington, Margaret Edwards, Herbert Standing and Vera Lewis. The film was released on March 18, 1915, by Paramount Pictures.

Two yeggmen hold up Helen, on night duty at Ferndale, lock her in a closet, and escape. Later, standing on a bridge over the freight yards, Helen sees the two bandits aboard an outgoing freight, and drops onto the roof of the car from above as it crosses underneath. A chase along the roofs of the speeding cars ensues, all of the participants falling into the water as the freight crosses a river. The train is brought to a halt, Helen is rescued, the thieves are arrested, and Helen looks forward to next week’s hazard.

Sam the white-washer pines for the affluent Lindy, but she has dumped him in favor of another. Sam finds a large sum of money, and goes to New York to enjoy a shopping spree, buying new clothes, jewelry and a car with a driver. Back home, Lindy flips for Sam and his newfound wealth, and dumps the rival. Sam throws an engagement party where he indulges in a friendly game of cards with his former rival and another man, who unbeknownst to Sam, is a card shark. Sam loses his bankroll, jewels, clothes and car in short order, Lindy runs off with the card shark, and Sam resigns himself once again to a life of white-washing.

Animated industrial short

Mabel and her sweetheart go to the beach and play a trick on the boyfriend’s father.

Julie’s husband has been murdered and land agents want her to sign away her property rights. Hoppy warns against this but she does so anyway. It looks as though she will be unable to deliver the timber called for in her agreement. Hoppy has to make the lumber deal happened and solve the murder.

An abused woman finds love in the arms of a famous novelist.

Spurred on by her young actor friend Pascal, Cricket, a young girl, accepts the starring role in a juvenile play. Her smashing success is overshadowed, however, by the death of her mother. Orphaned, Cricket grows to adulthood under the tutelage of her artist friends Saveline, Pinglet and Caesar. Their idyllic family life ends when the three foster fathers decide that Cricket shall marry a banker’s son, while she is determined to marry her old friend Pascal. Cricket leaves her foster fathers for Pascal and their estrangement endures several years, until the three men attend a stage performance given by Pascal and Cricket. An usher asks if they would take care of one of the actor’s children and, recognizing Cricket’s daughter, their old feelings of friendship are rekindled and a reconciliation occurs.

A retired judge comes West to restore a ghost town.